Bin carrier attachment for a portable waste container

ABSTRACT

A bin carrier attachment is provided for a portable waste container. The attachment includes a mounting member adapted for securing the attachment to the waste container. A bin support member is attached to the mounting member, and is adapted for supporting a separate bin used for containing articles outside of the waste container. The waste container and bin are movable together in a single trip between a storage site and a waste collection site.

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a bin carrier attachment for use with aportable rollout waste container. The invention is intended to promoterecycling by reducing the effort and certain inconveniences required toparticipate in municipal recycling programs.

[0002] Typical household waste collection takes place by driving acollection truck along a collection route. On specified days residentsroll their wheeled containers out to the street curb to be emptied.Those residents choosing to recycle sort their recyclable items, andstore them in separate bins positioned at the curbside next to the wastecontainer for collection.

[0003] The importance of recycling and the expense of disposing ofhousehold and business refuse has created a demand for greaterparticipation in municipal recycling efforts. Most municipalitiesprovide free bins to households so that recyclable items can beconveniently sorted and stored prior to collection. Some municipalities,business concerns, and schools have instituted incentive programs toencourage conservation and recycling. Despite such efforts, the overallpercentage of households which consistently recycle remains low.

[0004] A contributing cause for this lack of participation is thephysical effort and inconvenience of transporting multiple containersfrom the home to the curbside. While the rollout waste container isrelatively easy to move, the recycle bins are often heavy and must belifted and carried separately in a second or even third trip. For manyresidents, the need alone to make multiple trips from the home to thecurb is enough to discourage recycling. The present invention resolvesthese inconveniences by enabling the transport of recyclable itemscontained in one or more separate bins together with the waste containerfrom the home to the curbside in a single trip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a bincarrier attachment adapted for use with a portable rollout wastecontainer, and for holding a recycle bin such that users need make onlya single trip from the home to the street curb when transporting theirwaste and recyclable items for collection.

[0006] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

[0007] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which is relatively lightweight.

[0008] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which is durable.

[0009] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which is easily removed from and applied to the wastecontainer without damaging the walls of the container.

[0010] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which is adjustable to fit bins of different sizes.

[0011] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which does not interfere with the normal collection of wastein the waste container.

[0012] It is another object of the invention to provide a bin carrierattachment which is capable of supporting a load of up to 50 lbs.

[0013] It is another object of the invention to promote recycling.

[0014] It is another object of the invention to enable the transport ofmultiple bins together with the rollout waste container from the home tothe street curb in a single trip.

[0015] It is another object of the invention to reduce the physicaleffort required to transport recycle bins to the street curb forcollection.

[0016] It is another object of the invention to make it difficult forpests to enter into the recycle bin at the storage site near the home.

[0017] It is another object of the invention to provide a method forpromoting recycling.

[0018] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved inthe preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a bin carrierattachment for a portable waste container. The attachment includes amounting member adapted for securing the attachment to the wastecontainer. A bin support member is attached to the mounting member, andis adapted for supporting a separate bin used for containing articlesoutside of the waste container. The waste container and bin are movabletogether in a single trip between a storage site and a waste collectionsite. The term “bin” is defined broadly herein to include any container,such as a plastic box, frame, or bag, used for storage.

[0019] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, themounting member includes a pair of spaced-apart hangers adapted forextending over a rim of the waste container.

[0020] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, thebin support member includes a support frame defining an opening adaptedfor receiving and supporting a bin.

[0021] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, thesupport frame includes cooperating pairs of parallel side frame membersand parallel front and rear frame members integrally formed with theside frame members.

[0022] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, themounting member and the bin support member are formed of plastic.

[0023] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, themounting member and the bin support member are formed of metal.

[0024] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, themounting member and the bin support member are formed of aluminum.

[0025] In another embodiment, the invention is a method of transportingsorted waste and recyclable articles in a single trip between a storagesite and a waste collection site. The method includes the step ofsecuring a bin carrier attachment to a portable waste container. Aseparate bin is then positioned within the bin carrier attachment forcontaining the recyclable articles. The waste container and bin are thentransported in a single trip between the storage site and the wastecollection site.

[0026] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,method includes securing a plurality of bin carrier attachments to theportable waste container for transporting a corresponding plurality ofbins together with the waste container between the storage site and thewaste collection site.

[0027] In another embodiment, the invention is a combination portablewaste container and a bin carrier attachment. The bin carrier attachmentincludes a mounting member removably securing the attachment to thewaste container. A bin support member is attached to the mountingmember, and is adapted for supporting a separate bin used for containingarticles outside of the waste container. The waste container and bin aremovable together in a single trip between a storage site and a wastecollection site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Some of the objects of the invention have been set forth above.Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds when taken in conjunction with the followingdrawings, in which:

[0029]FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of a bin carrierattachment according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, andshowing the attachment secured to a rollout waste container (inphantom);

[0030]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bin carrier attachment;

[0031]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bin carrier attachment withcertain components of the attachment removed and exploded away;

[0032]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bin carrier attachment securedto a rollout waste container and holding a recycle bin;

[0033]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially alongline 5 shown in FIG. 4; and

[0034]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rollout waste container withthree bin carrier attachments holding three recycle bins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND BEST MODE

[0035] Referring now specifically to the drawings, a bin carrierattachment according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1and shown generally at reference numeral 10. The attachment 10 isespecially adapted for use on a residential, rollout waste container“C”. The attachment 10 is designed to hold a recycle bin “B” (See FIGS.4 and 6) used for storing recyclable items, such that the rollout wastecontainer “C” and recycle bin “B” can be conveniently transportedtogether in a single trip between a storage site near the home and acollection site near the street curb. It is understood that theattachment 10 may be used for carrying bins of any size and shapeincluding those suitable for storing yard debris, such as leaves, fallenbranches, and the like.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the bin carrier attachment 10includes cooperating metal hangers 11 and 12 for being secured to therim of the waste container “C”. The opposite ends of the hangers 11, 12are attached to a bin support frame 14. Each hanger 11, 12 includes anelongated hook 15 and a generally L-shaped bracket 16. The top end ofthe bracket 16 is permanently attached to the hook 15 using a metalrivet 18 or other suitable means such as welding. The bottom ends of thehook 15 and bracket 16 are attached on opposite sides of the bin supportframe 14 by a threaded bolt 21 extending through aligned holes 22, 23,and 24 and secured in place with a complementary-threaded nut 25. Hanger12 includes identical elements, and is attached in an identical manner.

[0037] The bin support frame 14 includes integrally-formed parallel sideframe members 26 and 27 and parallel front and rear frame members 28 and29. The frame members 26-29 cooperate to define a bin-receiving opening30. As shown in FIG. 3, the bin support frame 14 is preferably formed inseparate halves. The front and rear frame members 28 and 29 includetelescoping segments 28A, 28B and 29A, 29B which enable adjustment ofthe bin-receiving opening 30 to fit recycle bins “B” of different sizes.The smaller diameter segment 28A includes spring-loaded buttons 31 and32 which align and mate with at least one of the holes 33 and 34 formedin the larger diameter segment 28B to releasably lock the frame 14 inthe desired position.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the length of the bin-receivingopening 30 is adjustable from 15 to 26 inches with the width being setbetween 16 and 20 inches. The length of each hanger 11, 12 is between 10and 14 inches. The bend of the hook 15 extends outwardly between 2 and 5inches. The distance between the hangers 11, 12 is between 8 and 14inches. The bin support frame 14 is preferably constructed of alightweight metal, such as aluminum. In another embodiment, the hangersand bin support frame are formed of plastic.

[0039]FIG. 4 illustrates the bin carrier attachment 10 hung from the rimof the rollout waste container “C”, and carrying a standard recycle bin“B”. The recycle bin “B” is positioned within the bin-receiving opening30 (See FIG. 2) of the support frame 14, and includes anoutwardly-extending perimeter flange “F” which engages two or more ofthe front, rear, and side frame members 26-29. FIG. 5 shows thepositioning of the flange “F” relative to the front frame member 28.After transport to the curb, the recycle bin “B” is readily lifted fromthe bin-receiving opening 30 and placed beside the waste container “C”for collection. The bin carrier attachment 10 is then removed from thewaste container “C”, and later reused when retrieving the wastecontainer “C” and bin “B” from the curb. The emptied bin “B” is placedback in the bin-receiving opening 30 of the support frame 14 andtransported together with the waste container “C” from the collectionsite back to the storage site. The bin “B” may remain suspended abovethe ground in the position shown in FIG. 4 at the storage site in orderto keep pests away from the recyclable items, and to promote drainage ofany liquid inside the bin. For those communities which separate andcollect recyclable items in multiple bins “B”, two or three of theattachments 10, 10′, and 10″ may be used on a single rollout wastecontainer “C”, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0040] A bin carrier attachment for a rollout waste container isdescribed above. Various details of the invention may be changed withoutdeparting from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of thepreferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode of practicingthe invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and notfor the purpose of limitation—invention being defined by the claims.

I claim:
 1. A bin carrier attachment for a portable waste container,comprising: (a) a mounting hanger adapted for engaging the wastecontainer and holding said attachment thereto; (b) a bin support memberattached to said mounting hanger and comprising a support frame, saidsupport frame comprising: (I) first and second parallel side framemembers; (ii) parallel front and rear frame members joined to said sideframe members, and comprising respective telescoping segments adaptedfor telescoping inward and outward adjustment; and (iii) said side framemembers and said front and rear frame members cooperating to form anadjustable closed-end structure defining a bin-receiving opening adaptedfor receiving a separate bin used for containing articles outside of thewaste container, the size of said bin-receiving opening being adjustableupon telescoping movement of said front and rear frame members, suchthat a portion of the bin rests on said support frame to support the binwithin said bin carrier attachment without penetration of said supportframe through walls of the bin, whereby the waste container and bin aremovable together in a single trip between a storage site and a wastecollection site.
 2. A bin carrier attachment according to claim 1,wherein said mounting hanger comprises a hook adapted for extending overa rim of the waste container.
 3. A bin carrier attachment according toclaim 1, wherein said mounting hanger and said support frame are formedof plastic.
 4. A bin carrier attachment according to claim 1, whereinsaid mounting hanger and said support frame are formed of metal.
 5. Abin carrier attachment according to claim 1, wherein said mountinghanger and said support frame are formed of aluminum.
 6. In combinationwith a portable waste container, a bin carrier attachment comprising:(a) a mounting hanger engaging said waste container and holding saidattachment thereto; (b) a bin support member attached to said mountinghanger and comprising a support frame, said support frame comprising:(i) first and second parallel side frame members; (ii) parallel frontand rear frame members joined to said side frame members, and comprisingrespective telescoping segments adapted for telescoping inward andoutward adjustment; and (iii) said side frame members and said front andrear frame members cooperating to form an adjustable closed-endstructure defining a bin-receiving opening adapted for receiving aseparate bin used for containing articles outside of said wastecontainer, the size of said bin-receiving opening being adjustable upontelescoping movement of said front and rear frame members, such that aportion of the bin rests on said support frame to support the bin withinsaid bin carrier attachment without penetration of said support framethrough walls of the bin, whereby said waste container and bin aremovable together in a single trip between a storage site and a wastecollection site.
 7. A combination according to claim 6, wherein saidmounting hanger comprises a hook adapted for extending over a rim of thewaste container.
 8. A combination according to claim 6, wherein saidmounting hanger and said support frame are formed of plastic.
 9. Acombination according to claim 6, wherein said mounting hanger and saidsupport frame are formed of metal.
 10. A combination according to claim6, wherein said mounting hanger and said support frame are formed ofaluminum.